Nazir 17A

הכא במאי עסקינן ⁠— ביוצא ונכנס.

Reish Lakish responded: With what are we dealing here in this baraita? With one who left and entered, meaning that after having left the cemetery and purifying himself, he then vowed again to be a nazirite and subsequently reentered the cemetery.

איתיביה: אין בין טמא שנזר לנזיר טהור שנטמא, אלא טמא שנזר ⁠— שביעי שלו עולה לו למנין, ונזיר טהור שנטמא ⁠— אין שביעי שלו עולה לו למנין. ואי סלקא דעתך לא חיילא, אמאי עולה לו מן המנין?

R' Yoḥanan raised another objection to Reish Lakish’s opinion from a different source: The difference between a ritually impure person who took a vow of naziriteship and a ritually pure nazirite who became impure is only the following halakha: If a ritually impure person took a vow of naziriteship, his 7th day of purification counts as part of his tally of his term of naziriteship, since he starts counting his term of naziriteship as soon as he becomes pure. But with regard to a ritually pure nazirite who became impure, his 7th day of purification does not count as part of his tally. Rather, he starts counting his days of naziriteship from the following day, which is the day on which he brings his offerings. And if it enters your mind that a vow of naziriteship stated while ritually impure does not take effect, why does the baraita state that the 7th day counts as part of his tally, indicating that the naziriteship takes effect without a need for him to restate his vow?

אמר מר בר רב אשי: מיחל ⁠— כולי עלמא לא פליגי דחיילא, אלא כי פליגי למלקי: רבי יוחנן סבר: כיון דחיילא ⁠— לקי. וריש לקיש סבר: לא לקי, וחיילא.

As a result of this question, the Talmud offers a different interpretation of their dispute. Mar bar Rav Ashi said: The dispute between R' Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish is not as stated above. With regard to the question of the vow of naziriteship taking effect, everyone agrees that it takes effect from the moment of his acceptance of naziriteship, even if he was in the cemetery. Rather, when they disagree it is with regard to being flogged, as follows: R' Yoḥanan holds that since the vow takes effect, he is therefore flogged for becoming impure, and Reish Lakish holds that he is not flogged for becoming impure, but the vow does take effect with regard to the prohibitions of naziriteship.